When you hear sodium hydroxide, a strong alkaline chemical used in food processing, cleaning, and industrial applications. Also known as lye, it's not something you find on your spice rack—but it’s quietly in the background of many foods you eat every day. In India, food manufacturers use food-grade sodium hydroxide to peel fruits and vegetables like tomatoes and potatoes, clean equipment, and adjust pH levels in products like pretzels and olives. It’s not added to the final product—it’s a processing aid, washed away before packaging. But that doesn’t mean it’s harmless. Handling it wrong can cause serious burns, and improper disposal can harm local water systems.
Sodium hydroxide is part of a bigger system in Indian food factories that includes food processing, the physical and chemical steps used to turn raw ingredients into safe, shelf-stable foods. Think of it like the unseen engine behind unit operations like pasteurization, drying, or blanching. You won’t taste it in your dosa batter or paneer, but it’s likely been used to clean the stainless steel vats where the milk was heated or the stone grinders where urad dal was soaked. In fact, many of the same factories that make paneer or biryani spice mixes also use sodium hydroxide to sanitize their lines between batches. It’s not optional—it’s required under India’s FSSAI standards for hygiene in food production.
Some small-scale producers in India still use traditional methods—like rubbing tomatoes with ash to loosen skins—but large manufacturers rely on sodium hydroxide because it’s fast, consistent, and cost-effective. The key is using only food-grade material, stored safely away from acids and moisture, and handled with gloves and eye protection. There’s no room for guesswork. If you’re running a small food business in Pune, Jaipur, or Bengaluru, knowing how and when sodium hydroxide is used—and how to dispose of its waste—can mean the difference between passing an inspection or shutting down.
What you’ll find in the posts below isn’t a list of chemical formulas or safety manuals. It’s real, practical insight from Indian food factories and home kitchens. You’ll see how cleaning protocols tie into the texture of your paneer, why sanitation affects fermentation in dosa batter, and how even the smallest food business in India must understand the tools—chemical or mechanical—that keep their products safe. This isn’t about chemistry class. It’s about knowing what’s really happening behind the scenes in the food you eat every day.
Sodium hydroxide, chlorine, and urea are the most heavily used chemicals in India, driving industries from agriculture to textiles. Learn why these three dominate India's chemical market and who produces them.